The Lancer Lounge in Denver will become Vesper Lounge by end of the year. (Cyrus McCrimmon)

Most of the time, when chef Frank Bonanno opens a place, it’s all about the food.

But not this time.

The Denver restaurateur plans to open Vesper Lounge in the same space that held the Lancer Lounge, a classic dive bar that served drinks in Capitol Hill for decades. Bonanno said he hopes to have the place open by Black Friday.

“I don’t want it to be a restaurant. I already own seven of those,” said Bonanno Tuesday. “I’m almost envisioning Cheers. I want it to be a nice, friendly, neighborhood bar that has good inexpensive drinks. I don’t want to get into the whole mixology thing. We will have negronis and other cocktails on tap. But I don’t anticipate any kind of cocktail list, really.”

They have been slinging drinks at the Lancer Lounge in Capitol Hill since the mid-1960s, but no more. Tonight is its last night. (Cyrus McCrimmon)

Cocktails and tears will pour tonight at the Lancer Lounge, a Capitol Hill mainstay since the mid-1960s.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday, the lease runs out, and the bar shuts down, said Becky Conda, the owner.

Conda, 69, bought the bar a decade ago, after putting in 13 years at the place, managing the books. Just last year she sunk $103,000 of her own money into the place, renovating the bathrooms and improving other aspects of the bar. On the phone Monday morning, through tears, she said she fell behind in some payments to the landlord, and the landlord did not renew the lease. So Monday is her final night.